Fortunately, the intense days of 2020, when lockdown restrictions left opportunities for outdoor exercise pretty limited, now feel like a fading memory. This summer, arguably the first ‘normal’ one since 2019, presents a great chance for you to embrace outdoor workouts. However, whether you are set to exercise in the open air or at a local gym or leisure centre, you should first make sure you have all of the fitness gear you will need. You could consider…
A moisture-wicking t-shirt
If you’ve ever worn a cotton shirt while exercising rigorously, you are probably familiar with the sensation of it being drenched in sweat, like some kind of torso-clad towel you never knew you had.
This happens because cotton absorbs sweat – meaning that you should instead look for clothing made from a fabric that would ‘wick’ sweat from your skin. Gym King stocks a wide range of men’s t-shirts that are moisture-wicking and so would help to keep wearers’ bodies cool during workouts.
Removable clothing layers
Naturally, in summer, it’s already warm – but, as Everyday Health cautions, “keep in mind that you’ll be exercising and boosting your heart rate and your body temperature.”
Hence, you should dress in layers you would be able to take off if that body temperature rises a little too much for comfort. It would be wise to don sweat-wicking fitness gear as your inner layer and then add an insulating layer, such as a tracksuit.
Gym bag
Before investing in a specific bag, you should ascertain exactly what you will want or need to put in it. Verywell Fit outlines some examples of workout clothes that could be essential to you personally – like a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles if the gym has a swimming pool you are eager to try out.
If you intend to shower at the gym, one especially good idea could be to source a bag with separate wet and dry compartments for your fitness gear – allowing you to reserve the latter for, say, your smartphone.
Fitness footwear
Selecting the right footwear for physical exercise is trickier than you might have realised, as the ‘right’ choice can heavily depend on the specific activity in which you intend to engage.
So, while bulky shoes might be suitable for running, it will be a very different matter if you are interested in, for example, attending spinning classes. In fact, there are various exercises – like weightlifting, cross-training and indoor running – for which specific shoes have been designed.
Besides, regularly switching between athletic shoes would ease your efforts to dry each pair out before you need it again.
Water bottle
As implied earlier in this article, your body will be losing a lot of liquid during your fitness efforts, so it would be useful for you to have a reusable water bottle close at hand.
If you are drawn towards purchasing a reusable plastic bottle, first make sure it is made from non-toxic plastic. These days, you can also get vacuum-sealed water bottles; if you are considering one, it should ideally be free of condensation.
